Tag: irvine

My Hero Academia has taken the US by storm – so when Honey and Butter in Irvine hosted an art exhibit displaying local artists take on this hit show I was excited to see their creativity juices at work.

Honey & Butter Store front

The macaroon store was also going to make macaroons of select characters, but I found out too late that it was only on the first day of their exhibit *cries* Regardless, there were some really great art pieces, which is a testament to our talented community.

There definitely a lot of Froppy artwork followed by Deku, Bakugo (no surprise), and Shoto. My favorite characters are Momo and Shoto and part of me is thinking about making some My Hero Artwork for myself perhaps with color pencils as my medium.

I confess I didn’t give up anything for Lent this year, but if meat was your item of choice visiting Veggie Grill may help make the 40 day period more tolerable. A group of foodies met to provide insight on menu items and we were given the opportunity to sample 6 items ranging from appetizers to dessert. We began our tasting with the chill out wings.

I’ll admit I really detest fake meat. The spongy texture just cannot do the meal thing justice. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty and convincing these wings were. It was very tender and flavorful. 5 Stars! The next item we tried was the buffalo chicken. The base item was the same as the chill out wings, but the sauce is the star in this item.

We then moved on to their entrees and sampled their quinoa and kale salad. This was an extremely healthy offering and very light, perfect for those days when you feel fat and bloated. The Harvest Bowl on the other-hand was dense and rich. This may be a seasonal item limited to the fall as it makes the consumer feel warm and fuzzy inside. The last entrée we sampled was the Bombay Bowl, a curry over quinoa. The flavor was solid; however, the whole almonds added a crunch that I was not use to.

We then finished up our meal with their carrot-cake. I usually never make it to dessert, but I would for theirs! Overall, it was a pleasant tasting event and among the offerings the chill out wings takes the cake. If you’re a first time visitor, try their “fish” tacos, they’re amazing!

India is such an exotic country and their food is just as (if not more) intriguing. The bright colors and different spices make this culture’s food a fest for the eyes and stomach. So when I stumbled upon this little AYCE lunch buffet in Irvine on yelp, I could not have been more ecstatic, although the drive there was an adventure in and of itself! After driving loops around the industrial complex we finally found the restaurant- Vishnu (Yelp Review). It’s definitely a no frills joint, and we helped ourselves by loading up our sectioned styrofoam plate!

The selection was diverse with curries and other traditional Indian dishes. I’m embarrassed to say that my knowledge for Indian cuisine is rather limited, but I do know that each dish had it’s own distinct flavors and that the variety was incredible for a whopping $6.95 a person. I can’t even imagine how this is profitable considering the selection and how time-consuming it is to make all the items. I’ve been told that certain dishes take more than 5 hours to prepare, as it needs to simmer to allow the flavors to meld into one another.

I inquired with the owner about his business and was informed that it had only been opened for three months (!!!) but that he’d been in the catering business for well over 15 years. He’s done events as far as Reno, NV and the Bay Area, so I imagine that’s he’s your guy if you want an authentic Indian feast in the Golden State (and surrounding bordering states). The restaurant is only open Monday-Friday from 10:30-2:30 since evenings and weekends are reserved for catering gigs. Ah! It’s all coming together now.

Lucky for me this little shop is not too far away. Muahaha… delicious food for a fraction of the cost, although, I am curious about his catering options. So if you’re in the market for authentic Indian, Vishnu’s Restaurant and Catering’s got you covered.

It’s no secret that I love Stonefire Grill (Yelp Review) because of their fresh ingredients and expansive menu selection. But it’s also a destination that bargain hunters swarm to as they prepare large portions of food for a very reasonably price. I love taking large groups because the food is served family style and we’re able to sample many dishes with a low per person average cost. They also have a large seating area that makes it a popular spot after a team victory meal or office outing.

However, there are times when I just don’t feel like sharing and just want to indulge in a dish all to myself. My all time favorite dish there is the BBQ tri-tip chopped salad and it is amazing! The salad is topped with freshly chopped tomatos, roasted corn, carrots, black beans, red cabbage, cilantro and jack cheese then tossed with tortilla strips and Buttermilk Ranch. Mmm… makes me hungry just thinking about it!

And going during lunch for their lunch special is just twice as nice since this petite entree also includes a delicious garlic bread stick. For about $7, this healthy entree does double duty as a tasty value-worthy meal that’s good for you pocket-book and belly. There are several branches in the southern California region and if you haven’t paid them a visit, you’re definitely missing out!